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Weight Gain and Diets

Weight Gain and Diets are truly a past time of Americans!

Many of us find ourselves in a vicious cycle of weight gain and diets.

The Hard Facts:

Trying to shed that extra weight gain? You've got plenty of company . It has been estimated that over 50% of the American adults are overweight or obese and one in three American is trying various diets to lose weight. A rather disturbing fact to be noted here is that most of them would have been obese during their childhood .

Several studies have noted that the rate of childhood weight gain to the point of obesity have doubled in children (aged 2-5 years) and adolescents within the last 30 years . Weight gain , resulting in being obese when you are a child increases your risk of being obese in the adulthood also.1, 2 The prevalence of adult obesity is on the rise wherein it is highest among adults around the age of 50-60 years in the developed countries and 40-50 years in the developing countries.

Extreme weight gain resulting in obesity increases the risk of numerous disorders such as cardiac disorders, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, some forms of cancer and many more .3, 4 What are the options? Are diets the answer? and what is best for you? Here are some tips that help you discover which method suits you the best.


Meet the Doctor

Before initiating various diets or weight loss programs always meet your health care provider and discuss the risks of being overweight and the methods of weight loss (diets) that suits your need.

Weight Loss Methods:

The best suited methods are generally

• Cutting your calories through diets • Eating a balanced diet • Being physically active

Based on your health condition and your weight gain , doctors may further advise the use of medications and surgery .4

Cut those Calories, Check your body mass index (BMI). (see box) A BMI of 25 indicates that you are overweight while a BMI of 30 or more indicates that you are obese. Most of the weight loss programs advise cutting down your daily intake of calories. This can be accomplished by either calorie counting or the various dreaded diets . Ideally cutting down about 500-1000 calories per day helps you to lose 1-2 pounds of weight gain a week.4


Risks:

If the weight loss program requires you to cut down more than 1500 calories per day then it is always better to consult your health care provider before doing so. This is because of the reason that a drastic decrease in the amount of calories from diets or otherwise may have adverse outcomes on your health. Rapid weight loss with very low calorie diets deprive the body of energy and nutrients required for normal functioning of the body.5

Balanced Diet:

The dietary guidelines for Americans suggest that eating a minimum of five daily servings of fruits and vegetables, having grains, lean meat and low-fat or fat free dairy products is highly beneficial . This provides your body with the necessary nutrients and usually without weight gain . p>

The diet recommended includes the following principles: • Low fat (<30%) • High carbohydrate (55% of daily energy intake) • High protein (up to 25% of daily energy intake), and • High fibre (25 g/day).4, 6

Risk:

Do not practice fasting to decrease your body weight; instead eat short courses of a balanced diet spread over the day. As with very low calorie diets , fasting also deprives the body of the essential nutrients which may be harmful in the long run. Further, fasting may also make you feel tired, dizzy and physically week. In some cases it may also lead to increased eating and weight gain . The concept that fasting cleanses your body is a popular misconception . On the contrary it leads to accumulation of substances known as ketones that may be harmful for the kidneys. 5

Physical Activity: Being physically active combined with diets is very much associated with positive outcomes. Physical activity of moderate intensity for 30 minutes every day performed for a minimum of 5 days a week is highly recommended. These can include a brisk walk, playing with your kid in the park, and light house work, or washing your car...I'm sure you get the idea! The workouts may be performed at home, parks or gyms. Additionally activities such as walking, cycling and using stairs whenever possible further add up to the weight control programs.4,6

Risks:

Strength exercise, as a way of reducing weight gain may not suit everybody. Consult your physician before opting for strength exercises. Individuals suffering from underlying disorders such as heart diseases, osteoporosis, or arthritis should always consult their health care provider for choosing the intensity and duration of physical exercises.

Medications and Surgery: Medications are advised for losing weight if your BMI is 30 (or more) and is not controlled with other methods as listed above, such as diets . Additionally , medications may also be advised if you are suffering from obesity-related conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes or other disorders . There are two types of medications available for weight loss namely, appetite suppressants and lipase inhibitors . Appetite suppressants as the name suggests decreases your appetite while lipase inhibitors reduce the body’s ability to absorb fat . These medications are quite effective in causing weight gain loss. However, a physician’s consent must be obtained before initiating these medications. 6, 7

Among surgical treatments , bariatric surgery is considered as the most effective treatment for morbid obesity. Surgical therapy is generally advised for individuals with BMI 40.0 kg/m2 or with BMI between 35.0 and 39.9 kg/m2 who are suffering from adverse effects of obesity such as high blood pressure.7

Risks:

Medications are normally advised to be consumed for a few weeks or few months duration only. Long term use may be associated with occurrence of adverse effects. These can include cramping, intestinal discomfort, passing gas, diarrhoea, and increases in blood pressure and heart rate. Diets and physical activity must be carried out along with the use of medications. Surgical treatments are always considered as a last treatment options . Sufficient expertise is required to prevent complications associated with surgery.

Alternative Therapy:

Various alternative therapies such as hypnotherapy and acupuncture have been tried for weight loss. Herbal and dietary supplements such as conjugated linoleic acids, chitosan, Garcinia cambogia, and Citrus aurantium are also being used for weight gain loss.8

Risks:

Although there are studies that support the use of these alternative methods for weight loss, the effects may vary with each individual. Furthermore , they are not as effective as the basic approaches such as the various diets and physical activities . The alternative methods may however, hasten weight loss when used with the basic approaches.


References: 1. Lutfiyya, M.N., Garcia, R., Dankwa, C.M., Youung, T., Lipsky, M.S. (2008). Overweight and obese prevalence rates in African American and Hispanic children: An Analysis of Data from the 2003-2004 National Survey of Children’s Health. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 2008; 21: 191–199. Journal of The American Board of Family Medicine

2. Wang, Y., Lobstein, T. (2006). Worldwide trends in childhood overweight and obesity. International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, 2006; 1: 11–25. International Journal of Pediatric Obesity

3. Low S, Chin MC, Deurenberg-Yap M. Review on epidemic of obesity. Ann Acad Med Singapore. 2009 Jan;38(1):57-9. Review on epidemic of obesity

4. The Partnership for Healthy Weight Management. Weight Loss. Federal trade commission: Washington DC. Accessed: 2009 April 24; Available from: The partnership for healthy weight management

5. Duyff RL. American Dietetic Association complete food and nutrition guide. American Dietetic Association. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: John Wiley and Sons; 2006.

6. Hainer V, Toplak H, Mitrakou A. Treatment modalities of obesity: what fits whom? Diabetes Care. 2008 Feb;31 Suppl 2:S269-77. Diabetes care

7. U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services. Prescription medications for treatment of obesity. Accessed: 2009 April 24; Available from: Dept. of Health and Human Services

8. Cherniack EP. Potential applications for alternative medicine to treat obesity in an aging population. Altern Med Rev. 2008 Mar;13(1):34-42. Alternative Medicine Review

08.05.2009. 15:10

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